June 21, 2011

masking tape card swap

masking tape card swap

papercrafting with washi / masking tape

I made some postcards a couple weeks ago for a card swap I was invited to join. The theme of the swap, organized by Lay Hoon of Mescrap, was masking or washi tape, those cute Japanese printed tapes. I first came across these wonders during a trip to Tokyo a couple years ago and fell in love immediately. They are so cute and flexible, you can use them for everything: as tape, as decoration, for loads of crafts.

These are the cards I came up with (front and back):

card #1

card #1

card #2

card #2

card #3

card #4

card #4

I started off with a lot more sewing, which is what I do more of. The front part of the first card I made is a patchwork of different vintage fabrics bought from Etsy. I sticked some masking tapes at the back, a nice contrast to the sewn stitches.

I didn't have any idea how the cards would look, I didn't plan or design anything upfront, just went with the flow. I really like how the second card turned out. I started by sewing a pattern stitch frame, then I went on to divide the card into panels using the same stitch and the same beige/gold thread. It made me think of vines and I had that green stripe tape which I thought would look good in between. It makes me think of being in a garden. Love it. I would definitely use the same or a similar design for party invites or to give away as a set.

For the third card, I sewed a border again and then used masking tape to create the message. I added the triangles banner (made with tape) later to add a little oomph. I liked the card even without the banner (and I would recreate this one, too) but I thought it might look a little plain to a crafts/journaling person. Next time, I'll use a non-white background to create more depth.

The last card was the only one that didn't come into contact with any thread. All paper. and it's "wrapped" up as a gift with a cute yellow tape. The tied up "ribbon" on the back of the card can be fluffed up to make it look like a knotted ribbon. I like this one a lot, too.

I had to use the same tapes on most of the cards since I don't actually have that many different rolls. I would love to get more but I don't do paper craft enough to justify adding to my stash!

I wrote on the back of the cards, heheh. I hope that doesn't upset the recipients!

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